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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

I've been interviewed....

Hello Carol Ann,I’ve been writing all my life… 336 dog years and writing for The Wild Rose Press for a little over a human year.

This year I’ve become an Empty Nester…both my children are in college and I’ve decided to have a mid-life adventure.

For years my children choose my friends for me, I spent my evening chatting with their school mates parents or cheering next to their teammate’s parents.

One of my adventures as an MT Nester involved going to a singles dance…even though I don’t dance.

There I was at a big ballroom dance in jean, t-shirt and rubber soled clogs sitting at a table with ex co-workers enjoying the music and watching everyone else dance.A man approaches me, “Would you like to dance East Coast Swing?”Shrugging my shoulders, “I don’t know how to dance.”He reaches out his hand, “I’ll teach you.”We dance (and I use that term loosely) in front of the band. I can’t hear a word he’s saying – so I smile and nod. Toward the end of the song he moves closer to me and I hear, “Have you ever been bit?”My heart is pounding, and I thought I was nervous before. What a weirdo. Does he think he’s a vampire?I take a deep breath and smile as my rational mind takes hold. –he must have meant bitten by the dancing bug. I give him a big smile and another nod.He holds me tighter, starts to lean me backwards, my foot comes off the floor, my clog just about goes flying off, I’m struggling to stay upright - my body stiffens – my only thought is …I don’t want to be bit!The corner of his lip twitched, “I guess you don’t dip on the first date.”Oh dipped.

The reason I was at the dance with ex co-workers ...... was after 27 years of working for a utility company ---My boss said, “If you’re not happy why don’t you quit.”

So, I did.

I started a new job working as an AA in the Public Works Department for a City and I love it.

And when my new co-workers heard why I left my old job, they laughed and commented. You’ll be here until you retire, because now we know not to dare you.

If you could be one of your characters – Who would you be? And why?

Of my published stories, Amber from Christmas Mischief because she meets Tony and he’s what dreams are made out of.

Soon to be published, I like to be Alex, she is the heroine in my novel that I just signed a contract with for The Wild Rose Press. “The Perfect Country and Western Story.”

Alex too is heading out on a new adventure and I can identify with that.

But in the story there is also Julia a secondary character who has a wicked evil streak and I think I’d enjoy being her, but for just a day or two.

Who is your perfect hero? And why?

The perfect hero has to be a man that the heroine can dance with. He has to be worth following, otherwise when he takes a step back, there would be no reason for her to step forward.And of course the perfect hero isn’t going to mind when she steps on his toes.

Is there a genre of book you would like to write but haven’t yet?

Well, before I quit my old job, I was seriously thinking of writing murder mysteries. Just joking.

How do you balance real life and your writing?

I write in the morning, I set my alarm clock an hour early and hit the computer before doing anything else and in the evening, if I have time, (after my dance lessons), I write some more.I’m lucky, I don’t like to watch TV so I have to entertain myself and one way is to write.

How can readers find out more about you and your books?

I have seven short stories available at The Wild Rose Press. Happy Meal, Coffee and Love to Go, Drama Queen, Uncle Mike’s Love, First Class Male, Christmas Mischief and Hard Day on the Farm is available in Rose Petal’s Vol II.

My other favorite sites

About Me

Yes, Christine Columbus is my real name.
I currently live in Wisconsin (scratched that I final made it South and live in Iowa) but I believe this is a temporary situation and someday I will be trading in my snow shovels, boots and scarves for sun screen and sandals.
SOMEDAY, has arrived. I am on the Pacific Coast and I have no need for snow shovels or snow boots.